The Art of Humor

By Lynn Lieu

Thru Sat, Sept. 15

In my single years, I think one of my key phrases was, “If I were to be with anyone, he’d have to have a great sense of humor.” And I’m pretty sure I got that from TV. I mean, it’s not like you ask someone if they have a great sense of humor. You either tell a joke and they laugh or they don’t. Some times the funniest guys are also the worst guys to date. I mean if I tell you about my grandma falling in a pothole—yeah that could be funny—but when the story started with “my grandma is really hurt in the hospital” is it really necessary to laugh so hard beer comes out of your nose? That’s why these days I leave the humor to TV or YouTube. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that satire was a literary genre. That it’s an art thing. The Riverside Art Museum brings it all home with The Art of Humor. Drawing from over 500 years of artwork, The Art of Humor puts on display the likes of Honoré Daumier, Francisco Goya and Salvador Dali. And if there’s a caricature of a grandma falling in a pothole, feel free laugh.